Whereas Science Diplomacy is a widely practiced area of international affairs, academic research on the subject remains rather sparse. The role of academia within the field of politics–science interaction has hardly been considered. This article therefore scrutinises this scholarly perspective, using a case study of a science diplomacy programme in Germany to explore objectives, benefits, and constraints of science diplomacy for participating scholars. While political approaches suggest an ideal world where both sides profit from the collaboration, the findings point to another conclusion, suggesting that the interaction of scholars and officials in science diplomacy is far more complex. Thus, the contribution is regarded as both a useful starting point for further research and for a critical reflection of academics and politicians in science diplomacy practice to gauge what can be expected from the collaboration and what cannot.
Fähnrich, B. (2017). Science diplomacy: Investigating the perspective of scholars on politics–science collaboration in international affairs. Public Understanding of Science, 26(6), 688–703. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662515616552
